Towel-cabinet.



G. A. STEINER. TowEL'cABINET. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I. 1917.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

^ err GEORGE A. STEINER, OF

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LINEN SUPPLY COMPANY, 0F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. A CORPORATION.

TOWEL-CABINET.

Application filed March 1, 1917.

To all u'Lo/n it may conccrn Be it, known that I, GEORGE A. Swinnen, a citizen of the United States, resident ot` Salt Lake City, county of Salt Lake, Stateot' Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Towel-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a towel cabinet in which a bundle ot' towels may be placed and used, one at a time. without danger of the towels becoming separated from the bundle or thrown around the room where the cabinet may be placed.

A vt'urther object is to provide a means for securing towels together which will allow free use ot' each towel or several ot' them at the same time, and will also permit the use of the full wiping surface of each towel.

A further object is to avoid the use of eyelets, gromets and the like in the towels, and thereby eliminate the necessity of stringlng them at the laundry and the danger ot' wearing or otherwise dan'iaging the towel when the gromet run through the laundry machinery.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists gene ally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outV in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part et' this specification,

Figure l is a perspective view of a towel cabinet embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a cabinet, showing the preferred means for mounting the bundle of towels therein,

Fig. 3 illustrates the. manner of clamping or securing the bundle of towels together,

Fig. 4 is a view of one corner of the towel` showing the tape or band thereon that is passed through the clamping device,

Fig. 5 is a` detail view, showing a modilied means for securing the tape extensions ot' the towels together.

In the drawing, 2 represents a cabinet supported on the wall or by suitable' means, such as a table 3. rllhis cabinet has a horizontal shelf e upon which the bundle or package of towels laid horizontally, one upon the other, is placed. Beneath this shelf is a receptacle 5 into which the soiled towelsl are dropped fitter being used. rlhe shelf l is preferably provided with a recess 6 near one end and each towel i' has a. tape or band 8 stitched or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. i?, i918.

Serial No. 151.689.

otherwise secured thereto, preferably at the corner of the towel. This tape is ot' lutlicient length to 'hang down over the edge of the shelf in the recess (5, and when the bundle ot' towels is placed on the shelt', these tapes being all at the corresponding corners of the towels, will depend in a bunch through the recess in the shelf, having been previously clamped together at-the laundry by a lsuitable means, a form ot' which I have illustrated and will describe herein.

9 is a substantially U-shaped shackle and 10 a bar, shown herein as channel shaped. though any other suitable form may be used. having notches ll at the ends to receive the ends of the shackle, The shackle ends are threaded and thumb nuts l2 are mounted thereon to bear on the ends` of the bar lt). the llanged edges of which contact with the tapes and grip them firmly against the U- shaped shackle i). so that it will be impossible for a towel to become separated from the others without breaking or cutting the tape, and of course, when this is done` the fact that a towel has been removed will be readily ascertained by glancing at the ends ot' the tapes still held in the clamp. clamp is placed onI the towels before the hundh: is taken away from the laundry, and can be easily mounted, as no threading attachments will be required, the tapes being grasped and thrust through the shackle and the thumb nuts tightened and thereby the clamp will be lirmly secured and the towels held together against accidental separation. Each towel will be sui'iiciently free on its tape to allow several persons to use towels atl the same time. as there will be sullicient length of tape between the towel and the point where the tape is clamped to allow each towel to be pulled out and to one side of the cabinet. where it can be conveniently used for wiping` the hands or tace. This feature of the device l regard as oiI particular construction. as in many cabinets the free use of the towels is restricted and often it is necessary ior a person to stoop to an uncomfortable position before use of the towel for wiping the face can bev had. Furthermore, by mounting the towels with such freedom of movement as provided.I the entire surface of each towel can be used and thereby a decided advantage is gained over a towel that is fastened at one corner or is provided with eyelets tor stringing it on a vtlexible or other This The elanip device may be locked on the tapes by passing a suitable chain 12 through holes in the wings of the thumb nuts and securing the ends of the chain together by suitable nieans, such as a padlock l2.

Any suitable means may be provided for mounting' the clamp on the cabinet. butV have shown in the drawings a comparatively simple type which consists in a pin 13 having a loop l-l at one end for attachment to a chain 15 to connect it with the cabinet and to receive a screw-eve or other .suitable support 16 that is preferably' mounted in the underside of the shelf b, The adjacent side wall of the cabinet has another screw eye 1T mounted therein and after the pin is thrust through the clamp. it is inserted into the screw eye 1.4" and lullig' on the screw eye 1G and thereby the clamp will be supported and will permit the towels to be used and thrust into the rtaeptacle. 5 for return to the laundry when the bundle of clean towels has been exhausted. itt such time it is only necessary to detach a pin 11% from the clamp, return the bundle of soiled towels to the laundry and substitute therefor a bundle of clean ones.

ln Fig. 5 l have shown the tapes provided with loops 1S through which a flexible securing means. such as a chain l5). is-tln'eaded. the ends of the chain being fastened together by the padlock shown in Fig. These tapes` with the towels to which they are attached, may then be placed in the cabinet` as shown in ltig. l. or they may be hung upon any suitable support onthe wall where there is insullicient room for a cabinet or where the person for whom the towels are furnished does not care for a cabinetv with the towels or wishes to suspend the towels upon a hook. nail, or some other device, l do not wish, therefore, to be confined to the idea of stacking the towels on the shelf, as shown inthe cabinet, as they may be arranged in other ways. the essential feature being the use of the tapes or extensions, clamped or locked together in such a way that each towel may be freely used. independently of all the other towels, and the person using the towel is not confined to a certain portion thereof, but can malte use of the entire area of the towel as a wiping surface.

in. various ways the details of construetion herein shown and described may be modified and still be within the scope of my invention.

l claim as my invention:

1. support fera bundle of towels piaced one upon the other, said, towels harej ble c nsious less width and hunched together when assembled, :nd a clamp "IOT Les'mse extensions so hunched for holding the towels togethe and permitting freedom of use of the entire wiping surfaces of said towels.

A support for a bundle of towels placed one upon the other, each towel having a flexible extension at one corner thereof, said extensions being bunched together when the towels are placed on said support, and a clamp for encircling said extensions so hunched to hold the towels together and permit freedom of use of the entire wiping surface thereof.

3. A towel cabinet haring a shelf therein whereon a bundle of clean towels is placed, one upon the other, said cabinet having a receptacle beneath said shelf for the soiled towels, each towel being provided with a flexible extension which is grouped with all the other extensions when the towels are placed on said shelf, and a clamping means mounted adjacent to the edge of said shelf and encircling the group of flexible extensions for securing them together, said clamping means allowing freedom of use of each towel independently of all the other towels.

l. towel rack for supporting a bundle of clean towels, each having a comparatively long tape thereon, said tapes being hunched together when the towels are assembled in a bundle, means for gripping the tapes to bind them together for transport with the clean towels from the laundry7 to the rack and for transport with the soiled towels from theraclt to the laundry, said tapes permitting freedom of use of each towel and its entire wiping surface.

5. A means for supporting a bundle of towels in stacked form thereon, each towel ha ring at one corner a tape secured thereto. there being a plurality of said tapes grouped at one corner of the bundle when the towels are stacked, means for clamping said tapes together, thereby allowing freedom of use of the entire wiping surface of each towel, and said clamp having means for mounting it adjacent said towel supporting means.

6. A towel cabinet having a soiled towel receptacle in the lower portion thereof, and a support in the upper portion whereon the bundle of towels in stacked form is placed, each towel haring a tape at one end thereof forming a group when a number of towels are stacked, a clamp for securing said tapes together, means for supporting said clamp adjacent to said shelf, said tapes permitting freedom of use of the towels and the deposit of the after use into the receptacle beneath said shelf. y

n witness whereof, have hereunto set my id this 23rd day of February, 191?. 

